Vidya Balan to star in film based on Maharastra's man-eater tigress Avni?

Maharastra's tigress Avni became a nationwide subject when she was shot dead in early November 2018 after being accused of killing more than a dozen villagers, capping off one of the country's most high-profile tiger hunts and angering conservation activists. The tigress had rumoured to have turned into a man-eater in the district's Pandharkawda area.

In her state-sanctioned hunt, 200 hunters used paragliders, infrared cameras, sharpshooters on elephant back, and even Calvin Klein fragrance to lure the big cat. According to reports, after nearly two years Avni's case is going to be studied again, but on the silver screen.

According to a report published by an entertainment website, "Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment is planning to put a project in place that will revolve around the controversial case of Avni's killing. They will present a factual but dramatised version of the event that got the nation divided in opinion."

Reports also suggest that the makers have already cast Vidya Balan as their lead for the film.

"They wanted a strong actress who can shoulder the film completely. They also needed someone who's a great performer. The makers have worked with Vidya on the Shakuntala Devi biopic and it was then that they offered her this film too. It's a concept that appealed to Vidya and she has never done something like this before. She will be playing a forest officer in the movie. The team wants to roll the film sometime in the next two months. This will be Vidya's immediate next after the biopic on legendary mathematician and the human-computer Shakuntala Devi," the report said.

Vidya is yet to confirm her involvement with the project but it could be an interesting project for the actress to get involved in.